Lisa Simpson and the London Olympics

The unveiling this week of the winning logo design for the 2012 summer Olympics in London has caused a great deal of public outcry in Great Britain. Initial response has been overwhelmingly negative.

Organizers were trying to target a younger audience with the "hip" design that is supposed to capture the vibe of the graffiti which can be seen all over the city, but they have received harsh criticism from many corners.

I heard an artist/designer criticize the fact that the logo expresses disharmony and division rather than unity and cohesion, a common ideal of the Olympic games. London's own mayor says this design is a "catastrophic mistake" and said the designers should not be paid.

Others have noted that it does not represent the city in a positive way and, if not for the printed word 'London', nobody would be able to connect this design to the city. Many past Olympic logos have included some identifiable motif of the host nation, as did London's own 1948 logo the last time they hosted the Olympic games which prominently featured Big Ben in the background.

Yet another criticism is that, when displayed in a flashing television ad, the logo has induced epileptic seizures (at least 22 cases have been reported) in some with photosensitive epilepsy.

Someone pointed out to me that the logo looks an awful lot like Lisa Simpson doing a Monica Lewinski impersonation. I couldn't see it until he pointed it out and now I can't see anything but.